Being raised in Wisconsin means different things to different Wisconsinites. For some, childhood summertime meant weekends at the lake with jet skis and grape soda pop. For others, weekends meant early morning fishing trips and bait shops. For me, it meant sweaty Sunday masses staring at the ceiling fans and family gatherings with charcoal grill cookouts. Cookouts were not about wieners or burgers. Cookouts were about bratwurst boiled in beer and onions and then grilled to perfection by an uncle with a pack of cigarettes rolled into his t-shirt sleeve.
Wieners made occasional appearances alongside jello salads, and I suppose someone brought burgers when ground chuck was on sale, but the bratwurst, Italian sausages, and Polish sausages slathered in mustard, onions, and/or sauerkraut were my cookout dish of choice.
A fifteen-year stint with vegetarianism proved foolhardy. The first meat I consumed when I started eating meat again was a bratwurst during a football game. It was purchased at Seward Co-op.
Seward Co-op makes their sausages in-house, using fresh, local ingredients. They carry as many as 15 varieties of sausage at a time, made with fresh pasture-raised meat from Pasture’s A Plenty, as well as other local producers. I have been continuously pleased with every selection we’ve made—whether it was the traditional bratwurst, the spicy Polish, or the maple breakfast sausage.
The next time you head out to shop for your next cookout, consider checking out the selection of sausages at Seward Co-op. Ask about the recipes and mixtures they’ve created and learn something new about sausage-making. You’ll find something delicious, locally produced, and made with care.
